Greene County -- Interstate 44 at West Bypass (Route 160) in Springfield will be CLOSED starting at 10 p.m. Friday, Jan. 18, and will remain closed until as late as 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 19, to allow contractor crews to dismantle the west half of the West Bypass bridge over I-44, the Missouri Department of Transportation said.

During the same 20-hour period, West Bypass will be CLOSED.

Reason: The west half of the West Bypass bridge over I-44 will be taken down as part of a project to replace the West Bypass bridge over I-44.

The east half of the bridge was torn down in late September and has been replaced.

Law enforcement officers from the Springfield Police Department, Greene County Sheriff's Department and the Missouri Highway Patrol will be set up at various locations during the closing Friday night and Saturday to help drivers navigate the closings.

Traffic Impacts on Thursday, Jan. 17

Contractor crews will begin the process of shifting West Bypass traffic to the new east half of the bridge over I-44 on Thursday.

Beginning after noon, drivers on West Bypass can expect traffic shifts as crews move concrete barriers and prepare to shift all of West Bypass traffic to the new half of the bridge.

By evening hours on Thursday, all West Bypass traffic will be shifted to the new east half of the bridge.

I-44 traffic will not be impacted by the work on the West Bypass bridge on Thursday.